Light-deflecting means for headlights



n. F.y MomAmY. LIGHT DEFLECTING MEANS FOR-HEADLIGHTS. APPLl-CAIION FILED OCT. 5. |920.

1,399,143. vrammed Dee; 6, 1921.

WITNESS:

my Mah,..- f ,.n.,

UNITED STATES PATENTv ortica.

DANIEL F. MoRIARTY, or HoLYoxn, MASSACHUSETTS, AssrGNon, or ONLHALF To FRANK A CHAMPLIN, or EAST LONG MEADOW, MAsSAcHUsnTTs LIGHTDEFLECTING MEANS For. H-nADLreHnrs.l

Specication of Letters Patent. 4 'Patente-d Decir-6, A1921. l

Application led. October 5, 1920. Serial No. 414,739.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL F. MORIARTY, a citizen of theUnited States of America, and a resident of Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Light-Defiecting Means for Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

.My invention relates to improvements in means to, deflect the light from headlights used on automobiles and other road vehicles, and consists essentially of a translucent body which is provided on the back side .with a series or plurality of certain peculiarly constructed, integral louvers,said body being receivable in a lamp casing and taking' the place of the ordinary lens therein, all as hereinafter set forth.

This means or device is usuallymade of glass, and some or all of the louvers thereof are rendered opaque on their upper surfaces by means of paint, enamel, or other suitable material applied thereto, and it has been foundthat it is also desirable to render the under Side of the bottom lou'vers opaque in the saine manner' or by the same means.

The body portion of the device is of a shape to fit into the front end of the lamp casing which is provided with said device, such end being annular as a rule, so that said body has the general form of a disk.

The primary object of my invention is to provide light-controlling means, for lamps in the class specified above, which is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, a unitary device and compact, and

' highly practicable and efficient, and whereby the glare of the most powerful headlight is cut down or entirely eliminated, and this "wedgeshaped 1n cro?? Section, but preferwithout losing an excessive or undue amount of the light, but, on the contrary, utilizing the Same to the best advantage for illuminating the path ahead of the lamp which is equipped with the aforesaid means. `With this device the proper range of projection and the required height of the rays ofzontal, forwardly and rearwardlyl extending V axis-of said lamp are substantially dimmed or entirely cut out, v'vhile the maximum amount of lightingefiiciency produced by, rays directed downwardly toward the' road` way ahead ofthe vehicle for the desired distance is obtained.

Another obj eet is to provide a devicewhich -obviates the necessity of applying tothe exterior of the headlight any dimming means. Other objects and advantages will appearl 1n the course 'of the following description.

I attain the objects and secure the advantages of my invention by the means illustrated infthe accompanying drawings, -in whichwww.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a' devi ce 'A which embodies a practical 'form of my jinvention; Fig. 2, a vertical section thrfough said d evice, taken on lines AL-2, lookjing in the direction of the associated alvow, in Fig. 1, and, Fig. 3, a transversse- .section through said device, on lines 8-312 Fig. 1.'

Similar lreference charaeterfs designate similar parts throughout the several views.

The device consists of abfvdy l which is V:in the shape of a disk, or sfllCh. Other Shape `as may be required in order' t0 Within the.

front endof a headlight c-Sing," and a series of horizontal projections 0I' louvers 4 on the back side of said body, there being Iline such louvers in' the present 215? lthOll h such. number would vary in/deVlCeS 0f` ii'erent Sizes `md designed to produce different re- Sultsl The body 1 ha-7` approximately fiat, parallel sides, and the fein" 0I' lnner edges of 90 the louvers 4 are all iii the Same. plane with each other, which plafle 1S Pal'lllel With the. sides of said body. Each louver is generally ably has a blunt rearpr inner edgeinstead of being sharp at suchldg? I Ike anordinary wedge. When the devifels rn position in a a. `blanken dark.lpaint,as.indicatedfait in rie. 2 geist? Suffaeesihas'uaaaTissues of the 'Iuvrs'rnieaas ,represented at l 5 6, in order that there shall beno sharp corf ners, and to strengthen the', louvers and increase their efficiency. j'

The louvers 4 are inclined relfltive to each othffvitlifithmexcption of the bottom louver thenpper surface' offwhich is approximately horizontal in .both directions,

i such inclination being upwardly and in-.

louvers above the axisis such as gradually' to cause. to diminish upwardly the quantity ofirays passing horizontally forwardly from the source of light and the reflector for said sourcie, Thus the length of the rays'pro- 'g 30 jected fiorwardly from the source of light is determirited and said rays are causedto strike the y" ground at a given point in advance of Sutah source by the angles of the louvers, all 01 .which is` predetermined.

l 'l/Vhel the device is viewed from' a given -'point in front of the lamp and above the aforesaid aXiS thereof, the several louvers @form a substantllly total blind Which ob- "z literates rays of light from Said lamp, and 40` so prevents the glare of the light from blind- 'ing the observer. hus itis seen that at and above a glVell lloint ofv elevation the louvers act as completo\b1nds, shutting out the projecting rays; ret the desired and maximum quantity of llght is cast forwardly and directed downwaifuy at the desired angle and t0 the Pomt ahead ofthe source Of light, by the flnguhuly disposed louvers, which collect and condense the rays directed straight forwardly from the headlightaand also permit 0f the Passage angularly or laterally 0f l'yS t0 PIO'uce or provide the desired illumination laterally with respect, to the axis of the headlght to which reference has been hereinbefyre mada It is now clear thatthis device aifords a simple, practicable, f id substantial device, which may be madly mounted within a headlight casing, Mld {eflects and distributes southat no light can passy through the.

the light to the best advantage and in the 30 most eiiicient manner. AIn no case does the inner or rear edge -of the upper surface of any intermediate Vlouver project above a horizontal plane which intersects the angle between the under side of the louver above and the contiguous side of the body l, and even in the case of the top louver and the one immediately below the same, such edge of the upper surface of the latter is in a horizontal -plane which is little if any above the center of the. distance between the junction of the said twolouvers or of their adjacent surfaces with the body l.

Bright are pefiiffd'tisstggghjsgi louvrslthe' 'bdywlatand below the jiiiigt;i o n s ofsaidcoated or treated surfaces ivithnsaid body, Practiallyho`lightupasss through the bottom louver, because said louver is treated to render it opaque on both the upper and under surfaces.

The source of light or illuminating rnedium, such as an electric-light, is not herein shown, but in practice is situated behind the light delecting means, with the horizontal or longitudinal axis of said electriclight approximately in line with the horizontal or transverse a s. 0f said means.

Some change may be made in the shape and size, and in the arrangement, especially relative to the pitch -as well as to the number of the louvers, of the parts of this device, without vdeparting from therspirit of my invention, or exceeding the scope of what is claimed.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As an improved article of manufacture, a device, of the class described, comprising a body and a plurality of approximately wedge-shaped louvers extending with vary- .ing inclinations upwardly and rearwardly from the back side thereof, said body and louvers being integral and intrinsically translucent, and the rear edges of said louvers being in a common plane which is parallel with said body, and opaque material on certain of the major surfaces of said louvers.

Witnesses: Dorus L. SMITH, RUSSELL DAVENPORT. 

